Nick Cafardo knows how to fix the Red Sox. But, let’s wait just a minute before we get there. First, let us consider what he and his magical MLB sources think about the Red Sox biggest 2013 AL East rivals: The Tampa Bay Rays. What does Cafardo think they
need to do to ready for the stretch and the playoffs?
Nothing. They are set.
It is amazing how a winning streak – admittedly an amazing 24-6 in their last thirty – can drive the media and baseball world out of control. You have to win the games put before you, but the schedule has served them up series’ against the Blue Jays (twice), the Yankees (twice), the Astros (twice), the Twins and the White Sox over the last month. In fact, the only reasonable teams they have faced in this seemingly amazing stretch of baseball is the Tigers and the Red Sox.
In light of that, can we get serious about the Rays? They are very good, but their standing is wholly dependent on a hot streak that coincided with about the easiest possible combination of teams that the American League could serve up. Before the cushy part of their schedule, the Rays were 38-37. The schedule is going to get tougher. Wil Myers will likely be exposed if his walk rate remains under 5% (and his OBP at .354 with a BA of .328 seems likely to decline as pitchers develop a plan). James Loney has to James Loney (right? RIGHT?).
In spite of Cafardo’s insistance that baseball people feel the Rays need nothing, they traded for Jesse Crain (good pick up, at least before injury set back) for nothing (PTBNL). I guess the Rays thought they needed more than Cafardo and his sources thought they needed.
Well, from this, Cafardo lists many teams needs, including the Red Sox:
(Aside: he suggests the Cardinals may be interested in Stephen Drew. I suppose if the Cards are willing to open up their formidable farm system to get him – and I am not about so suggest some nonsense trade like Oscar Tavares for Drew – the Sox should listen.)
Cafardo wants to trade WMB for Peavy; credit Sitting Still
Well, that is all he has. The Red Sox need Peavy. Of course, later that same day, he tweeted that the Red Sox were not going to get Peavy.
Peavy About to be traded according to Bruce
Levine at Espn Chicago. Asked Red Sox if it was them and they said no. It’s also not
the O’s— Nick Cafardo (@nickcafardo) July 28,
2013
Who knows what happens with Peavy, that story has not found its conclusion yet. In fact, the White Sox bizarre claim that they claim to keep Peavy and build around him seems to be a threat to keep him if they do not get their insane asking price of contract money and legitimate prospect packages.
But, both colors of Sox need to get honest about what Jake Peavy is: a number three starter. He would be a very nice piece to add to the Red Sox. A good pitcher who makes the whole staff stronger. He is worth the money left on his contract and perhaps even a solid prospect with some injury risk such as Anthony Ranaudo. Making deals happen would be much easier to get done if General Managers didn’t lose their mind the week of the deadline and turn their players into franchise cornerstones when they are no such thing.
Of course, as soon as I say that, the Rays brass makes another deal (Crain) that causes 29 other teams scratch their head and ask, “Why can’t our front office pull of something like that?”
As for the Cliff Lee pipe dream? Do you see Ruben Amaro trading his one good player? Do you see him interested in prospects? I don’t see it happening, especially not at the deadline.
Are there any other gems that Cafardo wants to deliver for us before we depart? How about this one:
New York Yankees — They added perhaps the best pure hitter on the market in Alfonso Soriano.
Help me out: what is funnier? That Alfonso Soriano is a pure hitter (let alone the best available) with is career .321 OBP and .287 OBP in Chicago this year, or that the Yankees are contenders? Both should induce deep belly laughter.
Oakland — Never know what the A’s are up to, but they have been linked with Peavy. They seem to have enough pitching, but they do have a Biogenesis candidate in Bartolo Colon.
It is not a Nick Cafardo article unless there is some unsolicited PED hysteria.
Arizona — Bullpen, bullpen, bullpen. Yet, don’t rule the Diamondbacks out of the starter market, either.
I thought the narrative was the hustle-connoisseur Kevin Towers was a bullpen genius. Doesn’t he have the magic touch? I guess all of those bullpens in San Diego were helped by the Yellowstone Park dimensions of Petco. Imagine that…
And my favorite of this week:
Of course I would send Will Middlebrooks to Chicago in a package for Jake Peavy. By next year, Xander Bogaerts will be the third baseman, and the Red Sox don’t project Middlebrooks as a first baseman.
Got that? Straight from Cafardo: Bogaerts is a third baseman, nay THE third baseman. Nevermind scouts and prospect analysts still think he can play short, Drew is out of contract, Cecchini is nearly as close as Bogaerts, and Iglesias has reverted to being Rey Ordonez.
But, he does have one thing right: Will Middlebrooks is no first baseman. And that hole at first base is a legitimate problem that the Red Sox brass is going to have to address real soon.